Saturday, December 11, 2010

For those of your torn between petrol-hybrid and diesel cars, Peugeot may have the answer for you as the French automaker has presented the world's first production diesel-fueled hybrid vehicle, the 3008 Hybrid4. Unlike your common hybrid that makes use of a petrol engine, the Peugeot crossover combines a 163bhp 2.0-liter turbo diesel unit powering the front wheels and an electric motor (27bhp continuous / 37bhp maximum) driving the rear axle.As a result, the car is not only more fuel efficient than a typical hybrid, but (and though the two powertrains are not connected) also offers a four-wheel drive mode.The total system output is 200-horsepower with a combined maximum torque of 500Nm (369 lb-ft), split 300Nm (221 lb-ft) at the front axle from the diesel unit and 200Nm (148 lb-ft) at the rear generated by the electric motor. The diesel engine, which features a second generation Stop & Start system, is hooked up to an electronically-controlled manual six-speed sequential gearbox.An energy recovery system harnesses the kinetic energy created by the vehicle during deceleration and transforms it electrical energy to recharge the Ni-MH (Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries located under the boot floor, near the electric motor.The hybrid setup, which adds 264lb (120kg) to the vehicle's weight, allows the 3008 crossover to run in front-drive only, rear-drive only and all-wheel drive modes. The driver can choose between four different operating modes through a center-console mounted dial.In "Auto" mode, the electronics manage the change between the diesel engine and the electric motor for maximum economy. The second choice is "ZEV" mode, in which case, the car runs on pure electricity for a maximum drive range of 4.5 km or 2.8 miles.. The third option is "4WD" mode, which instructs both power trains to operate together for as much as possible. Finally, there's a sport mode which makes use of the full 200-horsepower system.Peugeot says the 3008 Hybrid4 returns a combined fuel consumption of just 3.8lt/100km (equal to 61.9mpg US or 74.4mpg UK) with CO2 emissions of only 99g/km. In terms of performance, the French automaker claims a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 8.8 seconds and a top speed of 209km/h (130mph).The same hybrid drivetrain will be used next year on the newly introduced 508 sedan and station wagon, as well as other models of the PSA Peugeot-Citroen group. The 3008 HYbrid4 will be built at the firm's Sochaux and Mulhouse plants in France with European sales scheduled to start in the spring of 2011.